Old engine-mount flaw flagged by Boeing years before UPS crash, NTSB reveals

The NTSB’s update on the Kentucky UPS MD-11F crash shows cracks in the engine‑mounting assembly. Boeing had identified this flaw on similar aircraft about 15 years ago and, in a 2011 service letter, told operators to perform a general visual inspection every five years and consider a revised bearing assembly—though Boeing said the issue did not pose a safety-of-flight risk. Investigators stress the engine attachment is critical and fatigue may have been involved, but the final cause of the crash has not yet been determined.